Out of Control
by MKRG
Summary: SG-1 past and present find themselves in a mysterious situation that leaves them feeling out of control. But with the integrity of the future at stake, SG-1's members must struggle to stay afloat and understand what is happening to them. Teamfic No ships
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Out of Control**

**Chapter: 1**

A/N: Set months before Anubis's Antarctic attack…

"Daniel, get out of there!"

He didn't have time to respond to Jack's call before the ceiling started to buckle and crack. Sand poured in through the newly-formed openings. His eyes screamed _danger_ and the adrenaline kicked in. His legs switched to automatic, transporting him to the entrance.

A dark-skinned hand grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him forcefully through the doorway. Behind him, the ceiling collapsed completely, bringing down a mess of rock, sand, and dirt. Daniel looked up at Teal'c in shocked thanks. His Jaffa teammate nodded in welcome.

The dirt-laden ground beneath them shook violently. Jack yelled, "Go, go, go!"

The three of them sprinted down an old hallway. Sam was already waiting for them at an intersection. She motioned for them to move quickly. The Major could see the destruction chasing them from behind. A few more twists and turns, and SG-1 was able to exit the underground dwellings safely. The entrance to the cave was quickly blocked by falling debris.

Daniel doubled over, the adrenalin wearing off and leaving him weak. With his hands on his knees and face tilted toward the ground, he didn't notice the strangers waiting for them outside of the cave. His three companions, however, gripped their weapons tighter as they looked intently at the new group.

"Well, isn't this strange," a female voice with a strange accent commented.

The archeologist looked up to see what was already bothering his teammates. A woman with dark hair and pale skin stared him down. Surrounding her were five muscle-bound men clad with weapons. One of the men stepped forward, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"Toto, we are definitely not in Kansas, anymore," he said with a familiar southern twang. Daniel didn't recognize the man or any of his companions. He stood up straight and tall, adrenaline returning. The woman eyed him curiously. The man who spoke took another step forward.

Jack, Teal'c, and Sam raised their weapons. "Not another step," Jack warned. "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize us?" The man asked.

"Nope." The group of strangers looked to each other in confusion. They shifted in place, tan leather clothing creaking with the movement. Teal'c noted how they stood with weapons hanging loosely at their sides, as if his team presented no danger to them. But he was not one to underestimate an enemy and remained in his stance with gun raised purposefully.

"Sir, it's me…" The woman stepped forward to place a hand on the man's shoulder. Out of all of the strangers, she was the only one wearing black. Her companion looked back to see her shake her head. He stepped toward her and began to whisper. From the looks of it, they were having an argument just out of earshot.

Daniel glanced briefly at Jack. The Colonel eyed the pair, never lowering his weapon. Sam and Teal'c copied his stance.

The woman must have won the argument. She directed her attention to SG-1. "We have no quarrel with you. We'll be on our way." At her words, the entire group began to move off.

But Jack wasn't satisfied. "Wait a minute!" The group paused and turned. "I'm not much of a believer in coincidences. How is it that we just barely escape from a cave-in to find you waiting at the door?" Daniel ground his teeth together. They didn't look like a good bunch to have a firefight with. Why couldn't Jack just leave well enough alone?

The woman and the man who spoke glanced at each other. A ghost of a smile graced the woman's elegant features. "Perhaps, today, you might start to believe in coincidences," she said smoothly with a slight lilt to her voice. She nodded to her group and they continued moving further into the forest that surrounded the rockface. Daniel kept his eyes on her retreating frame for as long as she was visible.

Sam brought his attention back to his teammates. "Sir, it's almost time for check in."

Jack, too, had kept his eyes on the strange party. "Let's head back to the gate."

As they walked briskly through the forest, Jack muttered to Teal'c, "Any idea what that was about back there?"

"No. I have never seen people like them before."

"I couldn't help but wonder – one of them acted like he was from Earth!" Sam commented.

Jack rubbed his chin. "He mentioned Toto and Kansas. Carter, any chance aliens could have picked up a broadcast of _The Wizard of Oz_?"

"If they flew by close enough, I'm sure they could have, sir."

"I wonder if they even know what Kansas really is," Daniel said.

Jack looked at him. He watched as Daniel pushed his oversized glasses up his nose. He had always told him to get contacts, but the man was as stubborn as a mule. He noted how his recently-cut hair looked unruly, but suited him. His old hairstyle had made him look younger, more fresh-faced. Now if he could only get him to ditch his glasses.

After a minute of silence, Jack asked, "Did you see anything in that old cave that might have been of interest to those strangers?"

Daniel blinked. "You mean like a weapon or something?" Jack nodded. Teal'c glanced briefly from his position in the front of the line. "Well, ah, no. All I saw were markings on the wall. I didn't even have time to determine what language was written there; the place collapsed so fast."

After a few minutes, the gate was within sight. Teal'c picked up the pace, intending to be the one to dial Earth. He stopped short of the tree line before Daniel knew it, causing the archaeologist to bump into his back. Teal'c held up his fist and lowered his arm, signaling for the team to be silent and take cover.

Soon hurried footsteps could be heard approaching the gate. As they spied through the gaps in the foliage, SG-1 could see a man running in some sort of grey uniform. He held a strange-looking weapon in his hand. He paused at the treeline, looking cautiously, before making his way toward the DHD. He pressed one button, then all hell broke loose.

Stun blasts bombarded him from several hidden locations among the trees. The clearing was littered with sparks of blue and white light racing across its small opening. He immediately ducked, sending out blasts from his own weapon. The DHD was his only refuge from the onslaught of fire.

"O'Neill," Teal'c started.

Jack narrowed his eyes, calculating.

"Sir, should we assist?" Carter asked urgently. As Jack decided, Daniel tried to see past the foliage at who was shooting. He could barely see anything past the rising cloud of smoke and light.

"T, you ever seen a uniform like that before?"

"No."

Daniel spoke up. "A uniform suggests civilization, one capable of organizing itself."

The commanding officer considered those words. If this man being attacked was a member of a more advanced society, said society could be a potential ally in the fight against the Goa'uld. Maybe, just maybe, if they helped him, they'd have a new friend on their side. Jack made quick motions to his team to start spraying bullets. Daniel pulled out his Beretta and directed his fire toward the tree line. Teal'c and Jack moved off and did the same with their P-90s. Sam stayed in position to support Daniel's efforts.

Soon the other blasts ceased. The man in uniform punched in the remaining components of the address and escaped while SG-1 continued to lay down cover fire. Jack yelled for the cover fire to continue as he made a break for the DHD. He quickly memorized the address before turning off the active wormhole and dialing a neutral planet. As he began to shoot at the tree line, his team raced towards the new wormhole, with Jack hot on their trail.

The four of them emerged onto a colder and dustier planet. The lack of vegetation surrounding the immediate area was in stark contrast to the lush planet they had just escaped from. The wormhole remained active as the team headed toward the DHD. Teal'c's Jaffa instincts told him to turn and watch that no one else followed them through the gate. His instincts were correct, but also too late.

Stun blasts struck them all with precision. The last thing Teal'c saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was flowing black hair.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for joining me on this one. As the story goes on, there may be a few very minor discrepancies like Carter's correct rank and things of that nature. Sometimes I just can't remember all the little details from the middle seasons. I apologize if this bothers you. Feel free to drop a quick note on what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Out of Control**

**Chapter: 2**

Someone was shaking his shoulder. He fought the grogginess and struggled to open his eyes. His lids complied, letting in harsh, yellow light. As Jack's eyes adjusted, he realized he was still on the same planet and in nearly the same location. The difference was that his hands were tied behind his back and a gag placed in his mouth.

The light blue eyes of the stranger from earlier stared at him. The man's jaw was set, as if he disapproved of something. He carefully raised Jack up into a sitting position. From his new viewpoint, the Colonel could see his team lined up on their knees nearby. They were not only bound and gagged, but also blindfolded, too. Three of the leather-clad men from earlier were guarding them with guns. His eyes squinted in anger.

"Get him up." It was the female from earlier. Two men grabbed his arms and hauled him up. Jack stood, albeit unsteadily. The woman moved into his line of sight, clearly disappointed with something. She placed a finger under Jack's chin to ensure that he stared straight at her and nothing else. The men loosened their grip on his arms but did not let go. "You have made our lives just a little bit more complicated. If you hadn't interfered, you wouldn't be here now as you are."

The woman stepped back and allowed him full view of his teammates. "I will be straightforward with you. I had no reason to hurt you before. But now…" She gestured toward Jack's team. "They may have to suffer for what you unwisely did back there. I have this suspicion, no, in fact, I _know_ that you saw the address that the man escaped to. You took a long enough look to memorize it." She grabbed his chin. "I want that address."

At her gesture, the men holding Jack prodded him toward the DHD. "Simply dial it for me, and we'll release you and your team unharmed. Refuse and, well, let's just say it would be unpleasant." The leader of SG-1 weighed his options. This woman, whoever she was, had let them go once. But would she really do it again? Was getting killed worth getting the other guy killed, too? It came down to protecting his team or protecting a potential ally he knew nothing about.

Jack began to mumble and complain through his gag. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed, looking as though she expected him to do this. She removed his gag. As he spit out cloth fibers, he demanded, "I need a guarantee that you'll leave my people alone once I give you the address."

She eyed him. "I could give you my word, but my word is probably no good to you right now. No, there are no guarantees for safety. Dial, or I start shooting."

A glance at his friends proved that they could hear this conversation. Despite having their faces partially covered, Jack could tell his teammates were alarmed. He really had no choice but to dial. She didn't say anything about dialing the wrong address, however. He punched in the combination for a random, uninhabited planet.

One of the men holding him eyed the address carefully. He nodded a negative to the woman. She quickly punched the red button to deactivate the wormhole that had formed dangerously close to his team. "Don't think that we are stupid. We may not have the entire address, but we know part of it." She raised her hand at the guards. They aimed their weapons at Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel's heads.

_Damn_, Jack thought. He quickly wracked his brain for an address that was similar but not the same as the one he had memorized. None came to mind. The weapons were moved closer to his friends and made contact with their heads. She was growing impatient.

"Perhaps you could tell me _why_ you are after that guy so bad?"

"It's none of your concern," she was quick to answer.

"Sure it is. If he's a bad guy then I'd like to know. We don't…"

She grabbed his chin again to silence him. "I can tell you're the type who likes to talk his way out of doing something he doesn't want to do. Instead of wasting everyone's time, why don't you just dial the correct address and we'll all be on our way? Hmm?"

Jack hesitated too long. With five quick steps she made her way over to Daniel and grabbed the weapon out his guard's grasp. She planted it squarely at his ear. "Is this the motivation you need? I really hate to be the bad girl here, but you're not giving me much of a choice."

One of the men from behind Jack shoved him. "Dial," he ordered forcefully. Daniel's face scrunched up in unabashed fear. With the feeling of cold, hard weapon at his ear, he no doubt understood what was happening. He was first in line to be executed. Jack dialed the address he had memorized, no longer convinced that any of this was worth the trouble.

The same man leaned over the console to study the address. He nodded an affirmative to the woman in charge, and she smiled. The men moved Jack away from the DHD. The woman removed the weapon from Daniel's ear. She leaned down to whisper to him. "I'm sorry about that, Darling. You're the last person in the world I'd want to hurt," she claimed with a strange sense of seriousness.

Without further ado, she and her men departed through the active wormhole, leaving silence in their wake. Jack ran to his teammates. "You guys okay?" he asked with a worried tone. They nodded yes. The strangers had conveniently left a knife nearby, obviously to give them the ability to free themselves. Jack made quick work of it, eventually releasing his bounds and those of the others.

Sam rubbed her wrists as Daniel rubbed his neck. Teal'c immediately got up and scanned the perimeter. He spied a pile of black and realized that the strangers had left them their weapons and gear. As he went for the pile, Jack bent down to place a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "What she say to you?"

His younger friend looked up at him. "It was strange. She talked to me as if she knew me. She said she never wanted to hurt me and was even apologizing."

"What do you mean 'as if she knew you'?" Sam questioned. Teal'c approached with all of their gear.

A confused look crossed his face. "She called me 'Darling'."

"What?" Jack exclaimed.

Teal'c handed everyone their respective weapons and possessions. "Perhaps the woman said those things to confuse you. She may expect to see us again, hoping that her words will cause us to hesitate before firing upon her at first sight."

Everyone looked to Teal'c, intrigued by his line of thinking. This explanation seemed to satisfy Jack and Sam just fine. But Daniel was not convinced. He made it a point to ask that woman what she meant if he ever encountered her again.

Jack made contact with Earth. Over the radio, he reported recent events to General Hammond. The others joined him at the DHD as he finished. "Sounds troubling, Colonel. Is anyone hurt?" the General asked with professional concern.

"Negative, sir. Just a few scrapes, but otherwise fine." He paused. "Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to the bottom of this right away. We know which way they went, so to speak, and I'd like to go after them."

Sam felt the need to interrupt. "Sir, are you sure that's wise? They just let us go."

General Hammond obviously heard her. "I don't know that angering them a second time would be advisable, Colonel."

"GeneralHammond," Teal'c intoned, "I, too, would like to determine who those people are. They possessed strange weaponry that I have not seen before. If there is a new force in the galaxy, we would be wise to be aware of it."

Jack clapped him on the back in approval. For some reason, Daniel hoped that the General would allow this impromptu mission. His curiosity about the woman was strong.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! More chapters should be up soon. Look forward to your reviews and thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Out of Control**

**Chapter: 3**

Night had fallen on Kaldia. The village was dark. The only sound to be heard were fires crackling in the fireplaces of individual homes. The Kaldian people slept peacefully, unaware that a murderer walked their streets searching for refuge. He stayed within the shadows, peeking into open windows.

He hadn't eaten in over a day now. His failed assassination attempt had prolonged his stay in this wretched world, beyond what he had planned for. His escape route was blocked because of the interference of those meddlers. He paused at the window of a house. Its fire was dying, but the smell of freshly-baked bread lingered about the property. His mouth salivated.

He rubbed the stubble of a beard on his chin, calculating the best way to enter the house undetected. He was a taller man with tan skin. His hands were calloused, indicating hard labor. His light blonde curls stuck to his scalp, matted down by sweat and dirt. Dark eyes peered through the window. He pulled a weapon out of his grey uniform and activated it. It charged itself with a mechanical whine that barely sounded above the dying fire.

* * *

The Stargate roared to life, the water-like event horizon releasing Colonel O'Neill and his team. After a briefing with General Hammond in person, they were allowed to investigate the planet their captors had fled to. Major Carter discovered through the database that the SGC had visited that world before. An obligation to protect its people prompted General Hammond to approve the mission to find their attackers and learn all they can. They were ordered not to engage them unless absolutely necessary.

So here SG-1 stood, in front of the gate and within sight of the sleepy Kaldian village. They kept their guards up as they walked briskly down the path. When they neared the village, they detected no sights or sounds that should cause them alarm. Based on Colonel Reynolds's report, the village leader's home was just on the other side of the village. The team quietly walked the main thoroughfare, eyes alert for movement.

* * *

The uniformed man greedily bit into the loaf of bread. It was softer than the stale pieces his former masters would throw on the ground for him. He savored the rich flavor of the bread, unaccustomed to such a luxury after so many years in servitude. He kept an eye on the stairs that led to the house's sleeping occupants and another on the window he had used as an entrance.

Just as he glanced through the window, his targets appeared. _What good luck_, he thought to himself. His task would be much simpler now. All he needed to do was shoot them in the backs and his job would be done.

* * *

Their stroll through the darkened town was tense. Daniel's untrained eyes squinted at the shadows. He wished he was better at detecting a potential attack in conditions like this. The lack of light and sound made him feel vulnerable. He gripped his Beretta tighter and stayed close to Teal'c.

Fifteen feet ahead, Jack and Sam were moving swiftly. Their boots treaded gently over the gravel-lined street. At every alleyway and corner, their weapons shifted left and right in a carefully-timed dance, ready to be unloaded if necessary. Unknowingly, they passed the very same house being occupied by the uniformed man. He was shrouded in darkness, unseen because of the dying fire in the hearth.

He angled his top half out of the window and aimed for the backs of Jack and Sam. His weapon charged to maximum with a quiet whine.

"O'Neill!" a booming voice yelled.

Energy blasts rang out, but Jack had enough warning to duck and roll away. Sam had done the same. Teal'c sent a shot of bullets toward their attacker's window. Screams emanated from inside, the house's owners awoken by the noise. More blasts shot out from the house, this time directed toward Teal'c and Daniel.

The element of surprise had eluded the man, but he was determined to finish his work. He raced up the creaky wooden stairs and aimed his weapon at the surprised couple upstairs. He sneered at them as they stood and backed away.

Outside, the team began to slowly move toward the house. They cautiously set up a wide perimeter, unsure of why the gunman had stopped firing. Before they knew it, a woman screamed from inside and another man was being flung out the second-floor window. He yelled as he fell, then hit the ground in a mangled heap. Without thinking, Daniel ran towards the victim. Energy blasts shot out, one hitting his side. He went down not far from the man.

"Daniel!" Jack yelled. Bile burst up through his throat at the sight of his friend gunned down. In his panic, he ordered, "Carter, get him out of there!" He and Teal'c shot toward the window, hopeful that the civilian inside was not in the line of fire.

Sam raced to Daniel's side. She grabbed his arms and began dragging him as far away from the window's vantage point as possible. Once finished, she made quick work of dragging the other man over as well. Shots continued to blast toward the upstairs window. She checked their pulses. The Kaldian man was dead, but Daniel was not. _Thank God_, she thought. It was then that she heard the Kaldian's wife screaming, but not from inside the house.

"Ceasefire!" she yelled. "Ceasefire!" The rain of bullets stopped. The sound of the other woman's screams seemed to be retreating. "Colonel, he just kidnapped a villager! He's making a run for it!"

From his crouched position nearby, Jack ordered Sam to stay with Daniel. He and Teal'c made a break for the back of the house, intent on rescuing the unfortunate woman. They followed her muffled screams into the surrounding forest, which was even darker than the village. Soon her screams stopped, leaving them very little to follow.

The men switched on the lights of their P-90s and scanned the area. As the beams passed over the forest floor, Teal'c rested his light on a patch of broken branches. He directed Jack's attention there and motioned for him to follow. They padded through the forest as quietly as possible.

Minutes went by in what felt like hours. Teal'c struggled to keep the trail in the darkness. The only sounds they heard were of local animals making their nighttime calls to one another. He had nearly lost the trail when Jack's light passed over a smear of blood on a tree. There was no way to know whose blood that belonged to, so the pair picked up their pace. Soon more splatters of blood were found on nearby trees. Wet patches could be seen on the ground, no doubt wet with blood.

Leaves rustled up ahead. They cautiously but quickly moved closer to the sound. Suddenly, an animal scurried in front of their feet. Jack jumped, his heart thumping even louder in his chest. He let go of a breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves. He locked eyes with Teal'c, who nodded. His expression told Jack that the sound came from the animal, not their attacker.

An energy blast rang out from behind the Jaffa, bringing him down like the ceiling of the ruins they had visited today. "Shit," Jack breathed as he ran for cover.

He directed a hail of bullets toward the source of the blast. Nothing fired back. Risking another surprise, he went back to Teal'c's position and cringed at the bloody mess on his back. Hands shaking, they checked his pulse. Jack's eyes and gun stayed on the forest around him. Teal'c had a pulse, but it was faint. The Colonel ground his teeth.

Jack realized now why the woman was kidnapped. The attacker was separating the team and picking them off one-by-one. He would need to be extra careful – this guy did not play around. "Carter," he whispered into his radio. He turned down the volume before she responded.

"Go ahead sir," her faint voice came through.

"Teal'c is down. How's Daniel?"

"Alive. The villagers here are tending to his wounds. What's your 20? I'll come to you for back up."

"Negative. This guy will get to you first. You'll be at a disadvantage."

"Sir, what are you going to do?"

"Find the girl. Get the guy."

"Sir," she began to protest.

"Shh, Carter, requesting radio silence."

She complied begrudgingly. Sam took a look at where Daniel lay, surrounded by concerned villagers in one of their houses. Firelight illuminated his pale skin with a sickly, yellow light. One villager there claimed to be a doctor, but she wasn't sure how well he could treat a blast wound he'd never seen before. All they could do was soak up the blood and attempt to patch the injury.

This op was not going well, to say the least. They'd been ambushed by what looked like a single attacker, but who knew if there were more? And now Colonel O'Neill was alone without any back-up, attempting to engage the enemy. It was a recipe for disaster. No. She couldn't just sit here doing nothing. At least for now Daniel was being looked after.

She was taking a risk by leaving him here and defying her commanding officer's orders. But she was sure it would be the right decision. She got the attention of the village leader. "I'm going to help find the missing villager." His solemn eyes didn't dare argue with her. He only hoped that the woman would have better luck than her dead husband. Sam was running toward Jack's last known position within seconds.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Out of Control**

**Chapter: 4**

An hour before SG-1 arrives on Kaldia…

The strangers that released Jack and his team stepped through the gate. The world they arrived on was quite dark. The only light available came from the stars that poked through the canopy of the forest and the gate behind them.

The dark-haired woman scanned the trees. Soon she spied the village just down the path. "Any idea what planet we're on?" she asked.

Her companion with a southern accent stepped to her side. "Negative." He thought for a moment, then said, "I reckon we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

She nodded in response. "I'll take the village." She nodded to one of the muscled men to join her. Another man joined the first as they separated. The remaining two stayed behind to secure the gate.

"Vala," the southern-sounding man called as he moved. "Be careful. This guy's good."

"You don't have to tell me twice, Mitchell," she said, never turning or stopping.

When Vala and her man arrived at the village, it was already asleep. _It must be the middle of the night here_. The two of them split up and combed the village for half an hour, coming up empty. It was very possible that their mark was inside one of these buildings, but there was no way to be sure unless they woke up the whole village. However, that would likely give the uniformed man enough warning to get away clean.

She didn't like the way this was going. They were only supposed to follow him through the modified wormhole and bring him back. No one said anything about having to interact with the locals, especially Jack. Too many factors were slipping out of her control. Too many things could be changed beyond recognition. The situation was not being contained, as Cameron would put it in his military lingo. Not well at all.

She only hoped they could prevent him from doing whatever the hell he came here to do.

"Vala."

"Go ahead, Mitchell."

"Trail's gone cold. Regroup at the gate."

"Acknowledged." She signaled her man and they headed back for the gate.

Within minutes, Vala's third of the team joined Mitchell's. "I've been thinking," he muttered as she approached. His black-haired companion cocked her head, prompting him to continue. "Isn't it a strange coincidence that we follow this joker to a planet where the original SG-1 is operating?"

"Didn't I just have a conversation about coincidences with Jack?"

"See now, that's just it. I don't really believe in coincidences much myself. And I sure as hell know you don't either."

She tilted her head in agreement and smiled wistfully. "So what are you saying?"

"Well, given the fact that SG-1 nearly got squashed in what we know to be an old Gou'ald facility complete with standard booby traps, it is highly likely that our buddy over there set off one of those traps."

"So he's after SG-1."

"Looks like it."

"It would make sense. Ba'al said something about 'getting his revenge' before he was extracted. Perhaps this was it. It was _his_ facility that started this whole fiasco after all."

"Gawd this just gets worse and worse."

"So fearless leader, what now?"

Cameron ran a hand over his face. "We may need to find SG-1."

"And do what, Cameron? Tell them the truth? If they haven't already met our local counterparts then there won't be any reason for them to believe us. Especially not after the treatment we just gave them."

"Which I still don't think was necessary." Vala glared at him. The argument over whether past actions were appropriate would have to be saved for another day. "Look, we either find our mark or find SG-1."

One of the men they brought along spoke up. "Sir, if I may… our mission is to retrieve the target. Given the sensitive nature of this mission, aren't we supposed to avoid all contact with the 'locals'?" Cameron looked to the marine. He was a husky fellow and good in combat. He held his ground as the Colonel stared at him. Eventually, the commanding officer sighed.

"Alright, alright." He looked everyone in the eye. "Suggestions, anyone?"

Another marine spoke. "We couldn't find the mark in the village. We should check the woods, deeper in."

Vala nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds good to me."

"Fine, let's go. Harris, Beeman, your turn to guard the gate." The marines that had accompanied Cameron and Vala earlier nodded. "Fan out and keep your eyes open people."

They proceeded to search the woods once more, but given the sheer size of the forest and even the planet, Cameron doubted whether their efforts would be worth it. _Could have used the entire SGC on this one_. But he knew the consequences of bringing more personnel into it would be too difficult to avoid. No, they had sent a six-man team for a reason. They were just lucky that none of their local counterparts were around to see them now.

Within half an hour of searching, Beeman called in. "Sir, we've got gate activity." A pause. "Sir, it's SG-1!" he whispered.

"Damn," Cameron said to himself. Over the radio, "Do not reveal your position. They can't know we're here."

"Yessir."

Mitchell radioed quietly to one of the marines nearby. "Yates, how far from the gate are we?"

"'Bout two and a half klicks, sir."

"We probably won't run into them soon," Vala offered via radio.

"Let's hope. Leonard, anything yet?"

"Negative, sir," the fourth marine responded.

"This is impossible," Mitchell muttered to himself. They may have their target out-manned and out-gunned, but he had them out-forested. As they walked further into the woods, he had an uneasy feeling. Something was not right. Nothing about this was right, in fact. What were they doing in the deep, dark woods looking for a needle in a haystack for? For all they knew the target had gated off to another planet before they arrived. He nearly slapped his head at the possibility. They had absolutely nothing, _nothing_, to go on. It didn't help that the original SG-1 was the reason they lost the guy in the first place.

_No, you can't blame them. They simply didn't know any better. I would trust a guy in a uniform over a guy in leather myself if I didn't know any better._

More minutes passed. "Cameron," Vala's quiet voice sounded over the radio. "I have a doubt."

"So do I."

"If this guy's after SG-1 like you suspect, then perhaps we should go and make sure they're alright."

"_Now_ you want to find SG-1?" he said, incredulous.

"Well, they're here now aren't they? We aren't getting anywhere with these trees."

"Obviously."

"Yes, obviously. He isn't here, Cameron."

Mitchell sighed. This was one of those times where he did not feel in control. It didn't happen much anymore, at least not as much as it did when he first took command of SG-1, but damn, this was serious. Something about Vala's so-called doubt rang true. "Beeman, Harris, any sign of… anything?"

"No, sir, not since SG-1 arrived."

"We may just have to wait 'til morning and then…"

"Sir, we hear gunfire!"

"What?" Cameron turned right around and started running back the way he came. "From where?"

"Not sure, sir. I think… it might be coming from the village. SG-1 was headed straight there."

"Stay with the gate, marines. I repeat, stay with the gate! We're on our way!" With that, the four who were previously searching the woods now joined together in an all-out run. But they were nearly three klicks away; the odds of coming to SG-1's aid in time were slim.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Out of Control**

**Chapter: 5**

"Dammit, it's dark," Sam swore under her breath. She often forgot how little natural light most planets had at night. This place lacked a moon to reflect sunlight down to the surface. Underneath the canopy of the thriving forest, light would have been impossible to find anyway.

With the aid of her P-90's flashlight, she was soon able to pick up Jack and Teal'c's trail. It wasn't long before she spied the blood trail, too. She was moving swiftly, but in this brooding darkness she was starting to question whether or not she should have followed orders and stayed behind. She swallowed that fear and resolved to stay on course. Teal'c was hurt, and Colonel O'Neill was still out there, hunting or being hunted.

In minutes, she found Teal'c. "Oh god," she whispered. Pulling out what was left of her medical kit, she knelt down to examine his wound. It was a pretty serious injury. The flesh had been cauterized but remained obscured by the blood that once flowed freely there. This was no match for the gauze and antibiotics she had with her. He needed real help. She prayed that his symbiote would keep him alive long enough to get serious medical attention.

Get to the gate or find Colonel O'Neill? The adage 'never leave a man behind' didn't exactly help her make a decision right now.

A rustling in the nearby foliage interrupted her thoughts. She raised her P-90 and adopted a protective crouch in front of Teal'c. At least part of him was shielded by a very large tree. Had she the time or lighting to guess, she'd have thought that this forest was nearly a thousand years old. This made the trees very, very wide. The sound grew closer and she gripped her weapon tighter. The adrenaline kicked in more forcefully, removing all doubts and fear.

A small light began to accompany the rustling. It bobbed to and fro to match the cadence of a walking person. Sam dared not relax as the mystery person approached. It could be O'Neil, but it could also be a trick. "Halt!" she called out warningly. "Who's there?" The back of her mind told her she sounded strangely reminiscent of soldiers in old movies.

Whispering. The light seemed to disappear and a figure emerged in its wake, hands in the air as if in surrender. She recognized the man from earlier. "You again!" Anger seeped through her veins. Her weapon cocked.

"Whoa whoa! I am not your enemy," he soothed with his southern twang.

"Where's Colonel O'Neill?" Sam demanded.

Cameron's eyes went wide. "You mean you don't know?" His blue eyes wandered to the ground behind Sam and saw the crumpled heap of Jaffa. "Oh god, is he alright?" he said with genuine concern.

"Don't worry about him. Now answer my question," she said menacingly.

"Look, I don't know where your Colonel O'Neill is. Let me help you."

_"Cameron,"_ Vala's voice warned through his earpiece. By now she should be far off, tracking the mark, and not close enough to stop him from what she could hear him doing over the open channel.

He tried to take a step closer, but immediately retreated when Sam gave a warning wave of her weapon. "Don't."

"Just, at least let me take a look at your friend. Maybe I can help him. I've had experience with some of these types of wounds before." He kept his hands in plain sight, still unsure of whether he could gain Sam's trust. _Nice going, Vala. Way to lay on the charm earlier today_.

Sam squinted her eyes, looking just as dangerous, but Cameron could tell he was getting through to her. Teal'c was doing very poorly down there on the cold, forest ground.

"Let me guess," he went on, "there's one nasty burn there, probably bleeding like hell hath no fury and all that. It's an energy blast wound; not as simple a fix as a bullet hole."

_How the hell could he tell that from all the way over there, and in the dark, too?_ She stared him in the eyes, judging the quality of his character. His baby blues were kind, with a little crinkle of crow's feet flanking them. He looked about as genuine as anyone would who wanted to help. Sam lowered her weapon slightly, acquiescing to his request.

Mitchell let out a breath, then slowly moved toward Teal'c. Sam never took her aim off of him, but at least she let him pass. Cameron whistled at the carnage he saw on Teal'c's back. "You really got it this time, buddy," he said with familiarity as his hands traced the edge of the wound. "It stopped bleeding, which is actually a good thing right now." He looked up at Sam. "I'm gonna take something out of my pocket… slowly. It'll help your friend."

"Slowly," she repeated, cautious.

"Right." Cameron took out a small gray tube the size of his fist. "I'm going to push this medicine into your buddy's wrist, like this," he said as he demonstrated on his own arm. "It'll keep him alive long enough for you to get him some better help."

"What is it?"

"I, uh, can't tell you exactly. Not sure of the ingredients, myself. But trust me when I tell you it can only help him. Won't hurt him a bit." What Mitchell didn't say was that this wound was so serious it had probably damaged Teal'c's symbiote, his lifeline. With little to no immune system left, he would need Tretonin to survive. Cam just hoped it would take in his condition.

She gestured with her gun. "Do it." The fear of this unknown showed in her eyes. Cam wasn't used to seeing that look on her face. But then again, she was very, very young here. He injected the chemical into Teal'c's wrist, leaving the tube there just a little longer than usual to make sure he got every last drop.

_"Mitchell,"_ his female companion sounded in his ear.

He fought to keep his tone casual as he tapped his earpiece. "Yeah."

_"We found the mark. Permission to engage?"_

"You see… uh… any others around there?" Sam looked at him strangely. She squinted and found the earpiece he was talking into wrapped around his left ear. Technology like that was just barely becoming standard at the SGC. Not even SG-1, the front-line team, had them yet.

_"Negative."_

"Then do it."

"Do what?" Sam asked, perplexed. Her question was answered by the distant sounds of energy blasts and zats. Her head turned instantly in the direction of the noise. "What's happening?"

The tell-tale click of Sam's radio sounded. "Carter!? What the hell is going on? I hear zats!" Jack didn't pause long enough to let her respond. "Did you call in reinforcements?" he asked with a hopeful tone. This would be the one time he was happy to have her disobey orders if she managed to call in more troops.

"No, sir," she said with a little surprise.

"What's your 20?"

"I'm with Teal'c," Sam replied easily.

"Didn't I tell you to stay with…" His transmission cut off.

_"Mitchell, O'Neill is here and he is in the way!"_

"Oh, uhhhh, Sam, you need to tell O'Neill to get down and out of the line of fire!"

Her head snapped back to Cameron. She never told him her first name. She relayed the message to Jack just the same, hoping that he could hear her transmission. When he protested a second later, the look on Cameron's face prompted her to say, "Sir, I would _highly_ recommend it!" Jack didn't reply.

The sounds of a firefight in the distance continued. Mitchell monitored the radio chatter of his teammates over the comm. while he decided to distract Sam from the whole firefight with a status report about Daniel. Teal'c was taken care of, so he asked, "Where's your other team member? Uhhh, the one with the…" He gestured toward his eyes to indicate glasses.

"That's none of your concern," she responded coldly.

"Hey, do you see how I just tried to help your friend here? If your other friend is hurt, then let me help him, too. He's obviously not with you or Colonel O'Neill."

Her resolve was crumbling. This situation was beyond her control or her understanding at the moment. She had no idea who these people were or why anyone was shooting at anyone in the first place. Trust was a seriously scarce commodity these days.

The energy blasts ceased. Silence rang out through the forest, a warning that someone was probably dead.

His earpiece clicked. _"The mark is down… permanently."_

Cameron sighed in relief. "Good work. Dispose of the body."

"Excuse me?" Sam said in alarm, pointing her weapon at him. His hands shot up in defense.

_"Underst…"_

_"Now wait, just a god-darned minute!" _O'Neill's voice interrupted on the same frequency. "Carter," he switched over to a frequency she could hear, "Go to Channel 2."

_"Ahem. Stop playing around and get your ass over here. NOW!"_ Vala yelled at her CO. It was loud enough for Sam to notice and for Mitchell to pull the earpiece out of his ear.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Sam called on the frequency he had ordered. Cameron could hear her now on his newly replaced earpiece.

"Carter. Is Teal'c still alive and kicking?"

"Alive, but not kicking, sir."

"Good… And Daniel?"

"He's safe for now, sir."

An audible sigh of relief sounded over the comm. "I'm half a klick north of your position. Get over here," he said with less menace than Vala did with Cam.

Mitchell gestured to Sam. "After you."

She narrowed her eyes, suddenly very wary. "Oh no, I insist," she ordered. Cam shrugged and went ahead of her. Sam followed with her weapon raised toward his back. They walked briskly.

Within a few minutes, the pair joined the rest of their teammates. Sam immediately went to Jack's side, never allowing her weapon's aim to leave Mitchell. Meanwhile, Cameron whistled at the carnage Vala and the marines had unleashed on the surrounding forest. Small fires were burning here and there. Animals that had not yet escaped were scurrying away. But the icing on the cake was the immobilized body of their target.

Unfortunately, that same body was being guarded by Jack O'Neill. Mitchell stopped short of approaching the Colonel. He coughed. "Sir, if you would please, we need to retrieve that body."

"You're not getting anything until you explain who you are and what the hell just happened here. I've got two dead villagers and two wounded teammates. I want an explanation!" the Colonel demanded.

"Did you just say two dead villagers?" the dark-haired one said icily.

Jack glared back at her, then turned his stare back to Cameron, who was shocked to hear the news himself. This could not be good. It was one thing to have people see them, get glimpses of them. It was quite another to have people die because of them! This could change things. Mitchell began to worry that he would not have the same home waiting for him when he returned.

"Well," Jack demanded again.

Vala answered for her side coolly. "We're bounty hunters. He was a mark. Simple as that."

"I'm not buying it. Carter?" Jack turned to his second-in-command.

"Nope. That one," she gestured toward Cam, "somehow knew my first name. And he seems to know quite a lot about Jaffa physiology. I don't know how, but he knew Teal'c's symbiote wouldn't be able to sustain him much longer."

Cam's mouth dropped open. Vala was at his side, and she used a finger to push his chin back into place. "Darling," she whispered in an uncharacteristic tone toward Mitchell, "we've been boosted."

"Busted," he corrected her.

"Right, whatever you say."

"Who are you people!?" Jack yelled, who seemed not to hear their words.

The marines and Vala turned to Cameron. He straightened, afraid of what he should or should not say. It was second nature to respond to Jack O'Neill. But General O'Neill himself had ordered this six-man team to be careful and to keep their mouths wired shut.

Vala nudged him and raised her eyebrows. With a subtle glance he granted permission to her silent request. Without warning, she turned back to Jack and Sam and zatted them into unconsciousness. They fell to the ground in a silent heap. "Well," she said, dusting off her hands, "that solves that."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Not done yet – one more chapter. Stay tuned…


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Out of Control**

**Chapter: 6**

When Jack and Sam awoke hours later in the forest, it was morning. They had been moved, which was made obvious by the lack of scorch marks on the trees. The only sign that anyone had been here besides them was the set of rocks that had been formed into an arrow, no doubt signaling the direction of the village or the gate. They stared at the rock formation on the ground then looked at each other. Jack made a gesture to move out, and so they did.

Upon arrival in the village, they were greeted by the villagers, Daniel, and even Teal'c. Though the two villagers who were attacked remained dead, Daniel and Teal'c had been miraculously healed. Neither showed any signs of ever being shot. And both were just as confused as Jack and Sam. The villagers were also unaware of what had happened to SG-1, though Jack suspected that the village leader knew more than he was willing to let on. Despite his efforts to press information out of him, he got nothing.

They went home with no more useful intel other than that their attacker was very dead. General Hammond frowned at the report, especially at the deaths of the two villagers. But his team was in tact and a murderer had been killed. This was more likely to be one of the good days compared to what they'd been through.

Descriptions of the strange group of people SG-1 encountered were distributed among the Tok'ra and some of the free Jaffa that Teal'c knew. The only description that sent back a hit was that of the woman. And the reputation she possessed was not flattering. The men in her party, however, were a mystery. The fact that one of them sounded like and even acted like he was from a specific region of the United States bothered Sam to no end. Everything about him screamed American boy. Yet, she never caught his name or that of the others. They were very careful not to reveal much information about themselves.

It would be several months, even years, before any of the members of SG-1 realized who those people were.

* * *

Present day…

"Incoming wormhole activation," Walter's voice intoned over the intercom. General Landry groaned as he stood up from his office chair. He wondered what traveler had decided to knock on his door at this ungodly hour. He peered at his watch. One o'clock in the morning. And a Saturday, to boot. Wonderful.

When he arrived downstairs in the control room, Walter informed him, "It's the special team's IDC, sir."

"Open the iris," he said plainly. Walter did as he was told and allowed Colonel Mitchell, Vala, and the four marines to pass through the gate. Landry leaned down into the mic, "Welcome home, everyone. Give me the cliff notes."

"Mission complete, sir," Cameron called up with a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Landry didn't seem to notice. "Good to hear. Report to the infirmary. We'll debrief in one hour." The team nodded to him through the glass and tiredly made their way to the care of his daughter.

Once they were settled into the infirmary, Vala whispered to Cameron from her bed, "Everything looks pretty normal to me." Mitchell still looked slightly unsure. "Come on, Dr. Lam's the same. Landry seems fine. Walter is… well, Walter."

"Vala, not now," he whispered through gritted teeth as Dr. Lam approached. He smiled at her, hoping she hadn't heard their conversation. She smiled back, warmly in fact. Well, that was different. Dr. Lam didn't usually look so chipper at one in the morning.

Looking down at her chart, Carolyn addressed Vala. "Looks like you're good. You can go ahead and hit the showers before your briefing." Vala smiled and thanked the doctor. She winked at Cameron as she left, probably trying to reassure him that everything was fine.

"Doc, I hate to be a nag over here, but what about me? Am I done or what?" Cam complained. All of the marines had been released before him as well.

She walked over to him. "Tell me how you're feeling right now."

"Uhh, tired, frustrated, glad to be home?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Then yes, you can go." She grabbed his wrist as he got up to leave.

He looked back at her, and asked, "Yeah, Doc?"

She cocked her head slightly at his use of her title. "What happened out there, Cam?"

"Uhh," he placed a hand behind his neck, "a lot. Not sure how much I'm allowed to say at the moment."

She seemed to understand. "Is everything… okay?"

"I sure as hell hope so," he replied before turning and leaving.

After the briefing, Vala was happy to slip out of her BDU's and into some comfortable pajamas. She was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a knock on her door. Grumbling, she got up to open it slightly. Her eyes squinted shut at the harsh light invading from the hallway.

"Hey," a soft male voice greeted. It was Daniel.

"Hello, Darling. Nice to see you. Good night, Darling." She nearly closed the door on his face before he pushed it open. Yawning, she simply turned around and crawled back into bed, despite the fact that he had also walked in and closed the door behind him. She didn't have the will to fight with him about this sudden interruption of her beauty sleep. "Can I help you?" she said in a monotone voice, with her arm over her eyes.

He sat down on the bed near her feet as if he'd done it hundreds of times before. This sense of familiarity he had with her was, well, unfamiliar. Suddenly, Cameron's fears that they had somehow changed the future occupied her mind. Her eyes shot open, but Daniel could barely see her in this dark.

"I heard you got back from Walter."

"And you couldn't wait until after I recovered from the mission to say hello?" she seemed to complain. Somehow she could tell he was grinning.

"Well, I've been waiting quite some time for you to get back. I knew I wouldn't catch you for hours once you finished up in the briefing room, so I…"

"Decided to prolong my sleep deprivation?" She looked at him now. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. What little light streaming through the underside of her doorway allowed her to see his smile. It was suspicious. He never smiled like that. Cameron's fears about the future were starting to become her own.

He chuckled softly. He never did that either. "Sorry, it's just that I need to talk to you. Now."

"Now?" she groaned.

"Yes." He took it as a signal to go on when her arms flopped down to her sides in annoyance. "Had we met before?" he hesitated.

"Beforrrr…"

"Before the Prometheus? That ship you tried to steal from us."

"Huh? Of course not." Vala turned onto her side, with her back to the door. "Are you done now?" she asked, already tired of his questioning.

"I have this distinct feeling that I met you before the Prometheus."

"Darling, what are you talking about."

"There! That's it."

"What."

"Darling."

"I repeat: what are you talking about?"

"You called me 'Darling' when we first met."

"I'm sure I did."

"Vala."

"Daniel, let me sleep. Please," she pleaded with him.

"No, wait. I think I'm right. I really think I'm right. That was you!"

She simply mumbled instead of asking what he meant.

"On your last mission, you met me right? A younger version of me?"

Her eyes reopened and she sat up. "What?"

"You did, didn't you?"

"How did you… you're not supposed to know details about that mission. As your superiors say, it's one of those need-to-know thingies."

"Well I know because I was there. I got shot, remember?"

"Daniel," Vala started, suddenly unsure of where this was going.

"Sorry sorry. I'll start with what I remember. Then you can tell me if I'm wrong." He took a breath. "There was a cave-in. You were there with some people when we got out. And later, you took us all hostage, but then you apologized to me and called me 'Darling'." He smiled. "There, did I get that right?"

She stared at him, dumbfounded. They did change the future. This, she just could not handle right now.

He pouted a little when she didn't respond. Daniel suddenly felt guilty for letting his own excitement about past events get in the way of her rest. He really should have waited till tomorrow. But it certainly explained a lot, seeing her now. Her hair was different when he met her on the Prometheus, but he wouldn't forget the way her hair glowed in the sunlight the first day they met outside that cave. Just like how it shined these days when they were off base. It was what mesmerized him about her in the first place. He wondered what kept him from making this connection before.

Daniel scooted closer on the edge of the bed. He brushed her hair to the side with a gentle hand. She looked perplexed by his touch, but didn't deny it. He stared more at her hair than her eyes. "I would never want to hurt you, either," he said, remembering her words. When he locked eyes with her, she seemed startled. The memory was fresh in her mind – bogged down by more stressful events to be sure, but still fresh. He smiled softly. Ever since she disappeared to that top secret mission to nowhere, he had suspected this. Now her apparent surprise confirmed everything. He'd known her far longer than he remembered.

Finally, she smiled sleepily at him. There wasn't much she could do about the past anymore. Might as well accept this strange surge of memories on Daniel's part. She patted his cheek. "Good night, Darling," she said simply.

Daniel took that at his cue to leave. "Good night," he replied.

* * *

Several months after the Kaldian incident…

"What's this guy's name?" O'Neill asked. He sat in his cozy office chair in Washington, D.C.

"Mitchell. Cameron Mitchell."

He stared at the picture in the file a little more closely. This daring pilot, who had helped save their butts in Antarctica, looked a lot like a suspicious character he had met some time ago. The same character that had given strange medical attention to Teal'c on that weird night on Kaldia. A quick glance at his work history indicated that he'd been with his current unit for over a year now. He'd never had clearance to go off-world.

"What the…"

"Sir?" his assistant jumped to attention.

"Nothing." He rubbed his chin, puzzling pieces of history and future possibilities together in his mind. "Jones."

"Yessir."

"Get this guy a medal."

"Sir?"

"He saved our assess out there, Jones," O'Neill said with conviction. "In more ways than one," he mumbled quietly to himself. O'Neill smiled slightly.

* * *

END

A/N: Thank you to those of you have read this far and especially to those of you who reviewed. I appreciate your feedback!


End file.
